Broken
by OctoberMorphine
Summary: My very first story! SasuSaku blank period. PTSD/Depression triggers! A delve into Sakura's mental condition during and after her travels with Sasuke. While Sasuke is broken, and rightfully so, he isn't the only one dealing with demons.
1. Nightmares

She should be happy, excited to be traveling with the love of her life, but she wasn't. Nightmares haunted her dreams every night, his behaviour never changed… the same cold man, the same harsh voice that held no warmth, no affection, the same monosyllabic replies…

That was different only on few occasions, which hurt her greatly. They were supposed to be a _couple_ , yet they acted like they were friends at best. The kisses they shared were few and far in between and she couldn't even recall the last time he held her. They slept in the same room or the same tent, yes, but never in the same bed. She understood that, though, they weren't married, and had no plan of making their…relationship official in the foreseeable future either.

Sakura started questioning the nature of her relationship with Sasuke. She knew very well how hard it was for him to open up, how much he disliked physical contact, but she longed for it so much…

She wouldn't make any move, though, too afraid to be pushed away by the only man powerful enough of breaking her completely. That thought scared Sakura. The realisation that Sasuke held her heart in his hands and had the power to break it and do whatever he wanted with it was frightening.

Their relationship seemed to progress painfully slow, and Sakura felt guilty for not enjoying it, guilty for dreaming of the worst days of her life, of his hands around her throat, of his dead eyes staring back at her, of a masterfully placed chidori right through Naruto or Kakashi's chest, dreaming of a world where Sasuke was the ultimate ruler, where he gave in to his darkness and destroyed everything that was in his way, dreaming of the patients she lost trying to save during the war.

"You need help, come see me, Forehead." Ino would often say in the months prior to her departure with the last Uchiha alive. She would just shrug it off like it was nothing and say that she was fine. Ino would always retort by saying that she knew Sakura wasn't _fine_ , as she claimed she was, pointing to the dark bags under Sakura's eyes and would always offer therapy sessions.

There was something almost shameful about admitting that she needed help, in Sakura's mind, and she knew that she was wrong in thinking that. She knew that no one would gossip about her seeing her best friend in a professional setting, and she knew that Ino would not disclose any of her darker secrets to anyone. She just couldn't go…she decided to give into her nightmares. Night after night…

They had been traveling together for a few months and they have come to learn that neither of them got much sleep at night. Sakura knew the reasons behind his nightmares, but Sasuke could only guess about Sakura's.

Sakura felt somewhat guilty, felt like she did not deserve to be so affected by what happened to her during the war. She felt like the reason for her nightmares couldn't even compare to Sasuke's, therefore she should suck it up like the big girl she was and try to put everything at the back of her mind. But she couldn't. Everything came back to haunt her as soon as she closed her eyes.

Sasuke saw his whole family, his whole clan, dead, right in front of his eyes when he was just six years old, which was traumatic in itself. But add to the equation the fact that the one who did such monstrosity was none other than his beloved older brother, someone who Sasuke idolized growing up, made it all the worst for Sasuke. The drop that filled the glass was finding out Itachi had no choice. He gave up his life, his entire career for the safety of his beloved village. Itachi was a hero and few people knew the truth.

Again, Sakura felt like she didn't have a reason to be haunted by less than pleasant memories, felt like Sasuke did, though. Which was a messed-up way of thinking, Sakura knew, but she couldn't help her mind. Maybe she needed help, like Ino told her a thousand times, but it was too late now. She was in a forest, all alone with Sasuke, trying to sleep.

Sleep came to her, eventually, but the nightmares didn't stop. She dreamt of Sasuke charging at her with a poisoned kunai, and in her dream, he was successful in his task of killing her. She was moaning, panting and crying, whispering his name frantically, as well as Naruto's and Kakashi's. She could hear Sasuke's maniacal laugh as he pushed the sharp blade through her chest. She could feel the pain, feel the life flowing out of her, she could feel her knees weaken and give in. It all felt real, too real.

Until a hand touched her, waking her up. She flinched, knowing who the hand belonged to. She was still turned away from him, but she could feel his hand touching her shoulder gently. She moved away, making Sasuke's lone hand drop from her body and she finally released a quiet sob.

"Don't touch me." She whispered, her voice cracking just slightly.

She could hear the exasperated sigh he let out and it made her chest feel tight, she could feel his eyes burning the back of her neck as he watched her intently.

"Sakura, you have to let me help you." He replied in an unusual, gentle tone. It only made her feel worse.

Sakura didn't reply, however, the painful memories still playing in her mind. It was as if it all happened just yesterday.

"This is about the time I tried to kill you, isn't it?" He pressed further, his voice just as gentle as before. _He's worried, he knows he hurt me, he knows I'm hurting_ …

She let out another sob and felt Sasuke's presence hovering over her. She couldn't look at him, she didn't – couldn't – talk about this, not tonight.

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun. Go back to sleep." She finally said, her voice quiet, strained and tired.

Sakura heard her travel companion sigh again, but something about it broke her heart a little more than the previous one. It was as if he gave in to his fate, accepted that this is how things will be with her and it made her wonder briefly if he would want her around anymore.

Shuffling inside the tent could be heard, signalling that Sasuke finally got back to his side of the tent, and the pink haired medic just stood on her side quietly, eyes open, trying to shake off the bad dream.

Neither of them would be able to get back to sleep, but Sakura simply didn't want to face him now. Why could she forgive but not forget? He was a changed man. Yes, he was still cold toward her, with little exceptions, but she knew that he was trying his hardest. She could see it. She ended up cursing herself mentally for the way she was acting toward him and tried to hold back her sobs for the remainder of the night.

The next morning was awkward to say the least. His eyes didn't meet hers, he seemed upset. Did she upset him that much? She bit her bottom lip hard as she watched him take down the tent before she turned around to put the plates and pots they have used away. They were getting ready for yet another day of traveling.

"You have to tell me what's wrong, Sakura."

She didn't realise when he came so close to her and jumped, startled.

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun, really." She replied, turning to him with an obvious fake smile on her lips.

Sakura wasn't stupid enough to believe that Sasuke wouldn't see through such a pathetic attempt, but she felt like she couldn't talk about what haunted her, not yet.

"You have to tell me, Sakura…" He pleaded, his voice as gentle as it had been the previous night.

She could feel tears burning her eyes, so she shut them in an attempt to keep her tears at bay. She felt his lone arm reaching for hers and she hugged herself, not wanting to be touched by him.

"Not now, please." Her voice cracked, and she involuntarily let some tears wet her cheeks.

"If not now, _when_ , Sakura? I'm trying, I really am, I know that I've hurt you in the past and I'm trying to make it right now, because…" He trailed off, unable to continue, but knowing that Sakura would understand.

 _Because I never wanted to hurt you. Because I care about you._

"Because I love you, damnit." Sasuke muttered through clenched teeth, looking at Sakura intently. One could see the lightest colour raising to his cheeks, but he masked it quickly.

Her emerald eyes widened and looked at him, not being able to believe that he said such thing. But that wasn't what she needed. It made her feel even worse that he was trying to comfort her. She needed to be alone, to gather her thoughts, to calm herself down, so, he let her be for a little while.

He never ventured far, though, the thought of rogue nins walking around, waiting for an opportune moment to attack was always at the front of his mind. Sakura just continued to pack the rest of their things, grateful for the quiet.

A few days later they arrived in a small village that they deemed quite dangerous. Under normal circumstances that was okay, but neither of them wanted to attract any more attention to themselves, to Sasuke, in special. They quickly made their way to the first inn that came in view and rented a room for the night. They never spent more than one night in a place if they deemed it unsafe. And judging by the way men, most probably shinobi, shot hungry glances in Sakura's direction, that town wasn't safe.

That night wasn't different from any other. They slept on different futons and her nightmares came back to haunt her once more. This time Sakura dreamt of the war. She felt Sasuke as he punched her chest and put her under the spell of powerful genjutsu. The image got dark and she was out. Next thing she knew, Kakashi was helping her up and once she fully regained consciousness, they took off to the Valley of the End. The place was a mess. Sasuke and Naruto managed to bring everything to the ground, except the waterfall. Madara and Hashirama's statues were just rubble and upon a first look she couldn't find either of the young men. She panicked and began calling for Naruto in a frantic manner. Until…until she saw a tuft of bright, sunny, yellow hair. She ran as fast as she could, only to fall to her knees and scream in incredible pain, tears flowing from her eyes just like the water from the waterfall behind her. The hero was dead. His body – dismembered, all over the ground. Fury soon took over and she began searching once more, wiping her tears away. She made up her mind, she would be the death of Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura searched and searched until she felt _it_. The diabolical aura, the dark chakra, so dark that it would put Madara to shame, the bloodlust. She ran toward it, prepared for murder. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" She yelled, making Sasuke laugh like a maniac. His lower body was caught under an enormous boulder and he wasn't able to move. "SASUKE-KUN, WHAT DID YOU DO?" She demanded, punching a chakra infused fist in a rock next to his head.

Sakura felt a strong hand on her shoulder shaking her. She heard a faint voice she knew from somewhere. She opened her eyes wide in pure anger, tears still falling on her cheeks. She never stopped crying, in fact. He looked distraught too, as if her screams woke him up and scared him. And they probably did.

She glanced at his face for a moment, then looked away, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. Sasuke grabbed her tightly and pulled her to his chest, never loosening his hold on her. For once, she didn't push him away. He was trying so hard to comfort her, it warmed even the darkest depths of her heart.

"I would never do whatever you were dreaming that I was doing." He murmured gently, shushing her, trying to calm her down.

"Maybe not now, but you definitely tried to…" She sobbed loudly, shamelessly burying her face in Sasuke's chest.

"That's in the past, Sakura, though I never wanted to hurt you the way I did…" He tried to explain and pulled her even closer to him.

She didn't reply, just looked up at him with big emeralds full of moisture. He kissed the top of her head softly, his lone hand going up and down her back soothingly. She looked up at him again in a silent plea to spend the rest of the night like that, to which Sasuke complied. It was the first night since the war ended where she was finally able to rest. It would take time, but the wounds would eventually heal, if they would communicate with each other and try to help the other however possible.

* * *

 **So, that was it! My very first story published on here!  
**

 **Thank you so much for taking the time to read it and** **I really hope you enjoyed it and please let me know if you did!**

 **Constructive criticism is very appreciated, just as reviews are. Did you like it? Did you not? What can I do to make my writing better? Please let me know!**

 **Don't be mean, though, I am a sensitive little potato.**

 **Until the next time, take care and be kind!**


	2. Accepting Help

Things did not get better.

The nightmares did not stop.

The dark bags under her eyes only got darker.

Sasuke did not know what to do. If he were to be honest with himself, he was reaching desperation quickly. He knew how Sakura felt. He knew that while he was one of the last people Sakura would ever accept help from, he was the only one able to.

They were alone, in the woods. If you don't count the occasional missing nin out to get their hands on a sharingan and a rinnengan. But none of that mattered to the sole Uchiha survivor. What mattered most was that Sakura would return to her bubbly and playful self.

But war changes people, Sasuke knew that. Being hurt by someone you love hurts more than any physical wound, he knew that as well. He experienced that on his own skin.

He had to do something. To comfort her, to make her trust him again. To make her understand that he overcame his darkness with her help, as well as Naruto and Kakashi's. To make Sakura get the closure she so desperately needed, just like he got his, when he got to speak with his older brother, in the war. When Itachi told him that he loved him.

He needed to help her somehow. He didn't want her to turn to the darkness that once consumed his being. She _did not_ deserve such fate. She did not deserve to have her last bits of innocence ripped away from her in such way.

But…but he did not know what to do. He did not know how to comfort her, he did not know what to say to her. He was at a total loss.

And it scared Sasuke. He had never been in such situation before. And to make matters worse, his logical self did not help him one bit.

Sakura still pushed him away most of the time. She did not want to be held most nights. She did not want to speak about her dreams – _ever_. She needed space, and he gave it to her whenever she needed it.

Sasuke could only laugh to himself. It was like he was looking in the mirror – and the reflection was an incredibly attractive pink haired, emerald eyed kunoichi that could kill someone with her pinkie finger – and he understood her completely.

He could not blame her. He did the exact same thing when he was younger, and truth be told, he was still doing it. He was still keeping everything locked away deep within himself. Eating away at his heart.

This particular night Sakura was dreaming of losing a patient. Common thing that had to have happened even to the very best medics. But the one she lost was Kankuro. The trip from Konoha to Suna had proven to be a lot longer than expected and they lost half a day due to a sandstorm. It wasn't something she could control, Sakura knew that well, but it meant that she had less than six hours to make an antidote for the older brother of the Kazekage.

She did try her damnedest, but she had never seen that type of poison before. Even Chiyo helped her concoct an antidote, but it was proven that having more people, having more hands to work with did not equate to getting something done faster.

Kankuro lost his life while Sakura and Chiyo were desperately trying to extract the poison and inject him with the latest concoction they came up with. The one that promised to save him. But they had been too late.

Temari collapsed to the floor and started bawling her eyes out. One of her brothers were missing and the other was laying there cold on an operating table. That wasn't how she thought things would turn out. She had heard that Sakura was good. Trained by _the best_. But she obviously wasn't good enough, since she couldn't save her brother.

Naruto, Kakashi, her and Chiyo departed in search for Gaara, leaving Temari to mourn her brother, but got separated once the two Akatsuki members went in different directions. Kakashi and Naruto followed the blonde one that carried Gaara, while Sakura and Chiyo fought the redhead.

But that went horribly wrong as well. A moment of negligence was all Sasori needed to poison Chiyo, leaving Sakura with a tough choice. She could continue to fight the redhead or ignore him for a split second to give the old woman the antidote they were going to use on Kankuro. She chose the latter, getting poisoned herself, in the end.

The poison was taking over quickly, and Sakura fell to the ground, feeling her whole body stiff and numb, unable to move. Everything was over in a split second, everything went black.

Sakura didn't realise that she had been crying and calling for people until Sasuke's lone hand shook her awake, as it had become the habit. She would have a bad dream, weep and call for help or different people, and Sasuke would wake her up and offer her comfort, if she wanted it.

"It's okay, Sakura…" He whispered gently, repeatedly, trying to wake her up.

She only nodded once she was awake, keeping her back turned to him. She sniffled in an attempt to keep her tears at bay, but it didn't really work.

Sasuke sighed once more, and laid back on his side of the tent, prepared for yet another quiet day.

Only difference was that he _finally_ gathered the strength necessary to open up to Sakura. He figured it would be the first step needed.

"I know what you're going through." He said that morning, while they ate their breakfast.

"I know you do." She muttered in reply.

"I still see Itachi kill my parents, I still see them fall on the floor. I still see the bloodlust in Itachi's eyes, I still hear the things he said to me. I still see myself with my hands around your throat. I still dream of winning my battles with Naruto."

She sat her plate down next to her, hugged her knees to her chest and laid her chin on them, humming in reply to Sasuke, but not meeting his mismatched eyes.

Sasuke sighed again, ready to give up. He didn't know what to do anymore. Everything seemed to fail when all he wanted was to help her.

"Tell me what I can do, because I ran out of ideas…"

Sakura looked up at him then, feeling heartbroken, knowing how much he wanted to help her. It warmed her heart, but she did not know how to react to that anymore. She felt hollow inside even when he was being this heartwarming.

"I don't know." She replied with honesty, emeralds meeting his mismatched ones for a second, before she looked away. She felt like she couldn't look him in the eye, and it felt horrible.

Later that night they were both laying in their tent, trying to get some sleep, when she decided to speak up.

"I sometimes dream of losing a patient, other times I dream of you killing me, or killing Naruto…" She murmured softly, quietly, knowing that he could hear.

He, however, was silent, and let her continue if she so desired.

"It feels real, Sasuke-kun. I feel the kunai slicing me, I feel the electricity from your chidori. It hurts, it hurts so much…" Her voice broke mid-sentence and tears started pooling in her eyes. She hugged herself as she tried to calm herself down.

Sasuke turned his head to look at her, his brows pulled together in worry.

"I know." He sighed.

"I know you're a different man now, I can feel it. I just don't understand why I can't forget these things…"

"I can't tell you that, unfortunately, what I can do, though, is to comfort you however I can, if you'd let me." Sasuke spoke in the gentlest voice possible, his lone arm reaching over to her to wipe her tears away tenderly.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Hearing Sakura thank him, hearing her open up to him, even the slightest bit, her not pulling away from him, like she had done so many times before, assured Sasuke that she would be okay. It will be difficult, it would take a lot of time, compassion and a lot of his support, but she would be okay one day. She would be able to smile fully one day, she would be able to laugh, he would get to feel the happiness radiating off of her again, he would get to see her eyes twinkle again. And for that, he was excited.

* * *

So this chapter is more from Sasuke's perspective. I hope you liked it!

I know I said that this would be a one-shot, but I got this idea that I couldn't get out of my head until I wrote it down, haha. I think I've decided to make this a three-part, though. Or maybe more, who knows?

I really hope you enjoyed it and please let me know if you did! Reviews, favourites and follows are very appreciated! I thank you for taking the time to read this story!

Until next time~


	3. New Beginnings

They had been travelling for two years. A lot had happened. They grew, they learned how to accept each other, how to love themselves and each other. They grew stronger as a couple. Sasuke started to open up about his family, he would even share stories about his mother's cooking, about training with Itachi, about being annoyed by Shisui. He would tell her how excited he was to spend time with his older brother, how much his mother loved calm, summer nights, where you could clearly see the stars. Sakura would listen to him, feeling glad that he felt like he was able to open up to her.

There were still tensions between them and Sakura still felt like she didn't know how to act around him every once in a while, but they were learning. They were accepting their flaws and most importantly, they were learning how to love each other fully.

Sakura's nightmares did not stop, but they decreased in frequency. As did Sasuke's. And they both learned how to react when the other would have a particularly bad one. Sometimes, Sakura would like to be held, other times she needed to be alone, to deal with her demons by herself, other times Sasuke was the one needing consoling and seeking the comfort that Sakura would always bring.

It was not an easy road, but it had been a beautiful one nonetheless. The things Sakura got to see were sometimes fairy-tale-like, some of the people they had met during their travels had been kind, loving and accepting of two travellers, one of which had previously been feared for his power and ties with an evil…creature, since Orochimaru can hardly be considered human.

Some other people… They were shinobi, travelling in the wilderness of the world, just like they were, and it was inevitable that they would meet the occasional rogue ninja, or group of rogue ninjas, seeking to make a name for themselves by killing the only Uchiha left alive.

It was a risk Sakura knew all too well when she decided to accept Sasuke's invitation of coming with him on his travels. And they both knew that Sakura was more than capable of taking care of herself, which she did whenever they were ambushed and forced to be separated from each other.

It never ceased to amaze Sasuke just how much Sakura had grown as a woman and as a shinobi. She had grown into a dependable young woman, no longer the clingy and scared girl she once was. No longer the little weakling that seemed to freeze, to be incapable of taking care of herself when in trouble.

The little blossom bloomed into a strong, capable and beautiful woman.

A woman that became able of understanding him even better than Naruto. She knew what it meant to have and to lose different things in life; loved ones, connections, different people. She knew what it meant to have demons whisper in your ear and haunt you at night. She knew what it meant to be alone even though you had many people around you. Naruto seemed to not be able to understand all of that. Sasuke couldn't blame him for it, he never had a family and had always been perceived as a monster, as a creature that _needed_ to be feared.

But…that was exactly what made Sakura so _perfect_ for him.

Sakura was the one who coloured his grey heart. The one who made him love again.

They were connected through their pains, their experiences and their love. Their bond ran deeper than the one he had with Naruto. It had been quite scary in the beginning, until he realised that he would not have it any other way.

He would either share everything with Sakura or with no one else at all.

A year into their travels, they got married. It was a decision they came to together, though Sasuke was the one to open the conversation, leaving Sakura speechless. Their wedding was a simple one, in the first village they encountered, with no one there to witness it but themselves and the officiates. There were no pictures of themselves, no pictures of Sakura wearing her white kimono, and admittedly, she did not wear one. There were no rings. The only thing that was exchanged that day was an unspoken promise that they would love each other forever, that they would be there for each other through thick and thin.

The wedding night, however, had been a magical one. Raw emotions. Lust. Tangible love. Tangled bodies, messy sheets, ragged breathing. A night neither of them could ever forget.

The pregnancy came soon after. Though Sakura tried to keep it concealed for as long as possible out of fear. She wasn't scared that Sasuke wouldn't want the child, but of the fact that he would send her home all alone… And she wanted to be with _him._

She knew he wasn't stupid, she knew he would realise that something was wrong, she knew that she started showing sooner than other people, but the fear she felt was not letting her tell him the truth. She didn't want to be alone.

Sasuke found out by accident. After the initial shock wore off, he was happy. Happy that he was about to have the family he longed for since his had been ripped away from him so brutally.

The moment he found out that he would no longer be the lone Uchiha in the world, he made it his life's mission to protect _his child_. He would do whatever it took to make sure that his family would _always_ be _safe_. He would make sure that another war would _not_ happen. He would make sure that another attack done by a celestial being would _not_ happen.

The pregnancy had not been an easy one. Sakura was anaemic. She was scared for the baby, as she knew very well what being anaemic while pregnant meant. Low birth weight. Premature birth.

What scared Sasuke the most about Sakura being anaemic while pregnant and in the wilderness was that she could even lose her life. Sasuke could not bear the thought of losing her too.

Therefore, they came to the consensus that they should travel back home. To Konoha. Together. To have Sakura be surrounded by the people she loved most as they welcomed their child into the world.

The amount of time they spent in open fields, forests, the number of times they slept in tents drastically decreased during Sakura's pregnancy. Sasuke would not take any chances of being ambushed and have her get hurt and potentially lose _their_ child. So, they spent most nights at different inns, sleeping in beds, in safer environments than in forests.

Sakura would often check herself and the baby, to make sure that they were both okay, and would try to eat better, to get more iron in her system, but that did not help…

She would often be very tired and sick, which slowed down their travels. But Sasuke would rather make sure that his wife and unborn child are okay than to risk putting them in danger.

Her nightmares, though… Her nightmares became worse than ever before. Even more real, even scarier. And she did not know what to do. Neither did Sasuke, and Sakura could see just how much that pained him. He hated feeling powerless, just as much as she did. But there was nothing neither of them could do, just succumb to them.

They found out that they were having a girl. They were both ecstatic, for neither of them cared about the gender of the baby as long as it would be healthy and it would grow to be a happy, decent person.

They decided to name her Sarada. Sarada Uchiha.

The small Uchiha family spent Sakura's birthday at an inn. Sasuke bought her her favourite dessert and at night, helped her shower, as he often did. She was now eight months pregnant and every little thing she had to do was proven to be very difficult for her. She felt like her stomach was in the way of everything and she hated feeling like she needed help with absolutely everything. But she always accepted it.

Everyone knew that they were coming home. Everyone was expecting them in the middle of April. They had sent letters back home announcing their arrival. Sakura was excited to see everyone. She had missed them dearly, though she rarely voiced that.

On March 30th Sakura woke up in pain. And bleeding. They both panicked and Sasuke immediately took her to the second best medic he knew. _Karin._

The redhead had been shocked upon seeing them, together, and by the fact that Sakura was pregnant. Shocked and heartbroken. She knew right there and there that she lost the fight for Sasuke's heart.

But she did not have time to dwell on her feelings, for Sakura needed help fast. Karin concluded after a scan that the baby girl was fine, healthy, but the amount of blood Sakura was losing put them both at risk.

Blood transplant was necessary. And Karin had to induce Sakura's labor as the risk of it happening again was grave, and if it were to happen again, Sakura could lose her life.

Sasuke could not remember the last time he had been so scared. He wasn't allowed in the room. He could only hope that Karin would not turn on him and kill both his wife and child. He could only go in circles in front of the door, hoping to hear a small cry, hoping for Karin to open the door and invite him in.

Sakura needed Sasuke to be there, but she understood that he could not be. She was scared. Karin was an enemy to her, she couldn't trust her fully, but she had no choice. And she trusted Sasuke's judgement.

Karin managed to stop the bleeding and induce Sakura's labor. It took hours upon hours; Sakura's screams were the only sounds Sasuke could hear. That was when Sasuke did something he hadn't done since childhood: he prayed. He prayed that his wife and daughter would be safe and healthy, and he prayed that everything would stop soon, for he couldn't take hearing Sakura in pain anymore, knowing he couldn't do anything to ease it.

The amount of pain Sakura felt was incomparable to anything she had experienced before. The anaesthetic that Karin gave her barely did anything to take the pain away. However, Sakura could not wait to meet her daughter anymore. To hold her in her arms. To kiss her head. To love her.

Sarada Uchiha was born the following day, March 31st. She cried as she held her daughter for the very first time. Karin worked on closing any wounds and checking them both, washing the crying infant, before giving her to the tired mother and allowing the anxious father to meet her.

March 31st was the first time either woman saw Sasuke cry. He let his tears run down his cheeks freely as he held his daughter to his chest. The infant was sleeping peacefully, her belly full. Sasuke finally had the thing he yearned the most – a family. He never realised just how much he wanted a family until he held Sarada in his hands.

Karin kept them at the hideout for a week, to make sure that both the mother and the infant were healthy and to make sure that the baby would be strong enough to make the journey home. And she was. Sakura and Karin really bonded during those short days, they became _friends._

The road to Konoha was a short one. But an exciting one, nonetheless. Sasuke was overly cautious, making sure that no one was following them, that no one would ambush them, and most importantly, he made sure that both his wife and daughter were comfortable.

No one could have ever prepared the group of people waiting for Sasuke and Sakura for the shock of seeing them holding a baby. No one expected that to happen, as much as they wished it would. But everyone was happy for them nonetheless.

Sarada and Boruto were introduced that day, Boruto being just a few days older than Sarada. Sakura got an earful from her best friend and her mentor for not mentioning something as big and important as marriage and pregnancy to either of them and so did Sasuke, from Naruto. Kakashi played the 'I am hurt for being left out' card, but everyone knew that. Laughs, stories, hugs and kisses were shared that day, before letting the young family go to their _home_.

They rented a small apartment they would live in for a while until their house would be built, and, overall, they were happy. They learned that they could love each other more and more each day, as well as a third person. Sarada taught them as many things as they taught her. They had to adjust to a stationary life, to caring for someone other than themselves, but the transition had been beautiful and exciting.

Both were happy, fulfilled. Excited for what the future would bring them.

* * *

I would like to start off by thanking each and every one of you for your kind words, favourites and follows. It truly means the world to me. Thank you!

I have another chapter or two in mind, but I haven't decided yet if I'll split everything in two or just have it be a single chapter. It might depend on how much I write, haha.

Once again, thank you for your reviews, favourites and follows, it really means a lot to me that people enjoy my story and writing!

Until next time~


End file.
